(CNN) - Republican Linda McMahon will face Democrat Rep. Chris Murphy in the November election in Connecticut to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

McMahon won her state's Republican nomination on Tuesday after her primary opponent, Chris Shays, conceded. On the Democratic side, Murphy defeated Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz.- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker

The two entered this primary after McMahon, a former wrestling executive, won 60% of the vote at the state GOP convention in May, while Shays won 32% - crossing the 15% threshold to force a statewide primary.

Murphy is a third term representative whose district includes Western Connecticut and who previously held state-level offices.

A June poll found showed Murphy with three point advantage over McMahon in a head-to-head matchup, though the difference was within the poll's sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. Both candidates held approximately 30-point leads over their intra-party opponents at that point.

Lieberman is retiring after four terms in the Senate. He faced a challenging primary of his own in 2006, when he lost the Democratic primary and ran - successfully - for reelection as an independent.

Lieberman's retirement comes two years after Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, retired in 2010 following the disclosure of the preferential mortgage rate he received. McMahon campaigned for the seat but lost.

soundoff(10 Responses)

DanD

Linda McMahon will spend another 50 to 100 million personally on her campaign and lose again. She should know from her WWE experience that it's just like wrestling, the outcome is already pre-determined.

August 15, 2012 01:27 am at 1:27 am |

Dottie Kolasz

We need to get rid of all republicans.....they will destroy to the middle class.

August 15, 2012 01:31 am at 1:31 am |

GROVER NORQUIST IS AN ENEMY OF THE STATE

Ms. McMahon will attempt to buy this election like she did last time. It's funny how she stepped back from Paul Ryan's budget. However, it's great to see Judas Joe Lieberman go. Go Murphy!!!

August 15, 2012 08:02 am at 8:02 am |

John Craig

The carnival huckster on the GOP ticket...absolutely priceless. The dumbing of America at an all time high

August 15, 2012 08:13 am at 8:13 am |

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ

It is money verus career. In this case given the person who has the money, I hope that career wins. I don't think Linda McMahon is really able to be objective and know what the state she wants to represents needs. She is trying to buy a Senate seat again. I hope that people in Connecticut know that her plans don't really work and would need the majority of the 535 members of Congress to get passed. This goes beyond her being the most junior senator there.

August 15, 2012 08:14 am at 8:14 am |

Fair is Fair

She'll probably lose... it's Connecticut. after all. Still, it would be real cool to see her deliver a flying elbow smash from the top rope.

August 15, 2012 08:22 am at 8:22 am |

Harry Baxter

If Linda McMahon is the GOP's Hope for the Future, The United States has no future.

August 15, 2012 09:07 am at 9:07 am |

Rudy NYC

What political experience does McMahon have? None.
What political experience does Murphy have? Three terms in the House.

Now conservativs will be quick to tell you that McMahon is a successful business leader. She was in the entertainment business.

August 15, 2012 09:33 am at 9:33 am |

Donkey Party

Really CT, a wrestling executive? So you want someone that is a pro at lying and gimmicks? I thought CT was smarter than that.

August 15, 2012 09:42 am at 9:42 am |

Willie K.

That's what we need in the US Senate, a billionaire wrestling executive who has made a nice living on fake plots and scams. She would fit right in with the Republicans in the Senate, a bunch of rich, out-of-touch con artists.